Be in the Energy Loop

Venkat Rao asked – “Pujya Guruji, our lifestyle today is very different from three or four decades ago. Now most of us have western style furniture in our houses, including a dining table and chairs. Our ancestors sat on the floor and ate from leaf plates. Are we missing something important by switching our life style like this?”

Pujya Guruji said – “Our body is the Shrine where Divinity abides. We must protect this sacredness every moment of the day. The life style of our ancestors was specially designed to do this. Somewhere in between, the significance of these traditional customs were not passed on from one generation to another. Unfortunately this has prompted most people to drop these valuable customs and our tradition is dying.

For instance when we sit in the Sukhasana posture (cross legged) on the ground, a continuous energy loop is created. The energy from the Earth enters the body through the Muladhara chakra (energy vortex at the base of the spine) and flows to the Manipura (Navel Chakra) where it activates the Jatara Agni (Digestive fire).

So whatever we eat is easily assimilated by the body. That is why sitting cross–legged on the ground is the best posture for eating. Serving food and eating on a banana leaf (instead of a plate) as was done earlier to catalyse the appropriate enzymes and chemicals in the body. Also banana leaf is eco-friendly! It dis-integrates quickly in the soil. It would also make life simple by minimising washing up!

Everybody laughed at this and there was a chorus of hearty agreement from all the devotees.